Hallowpalooza provides a musical night of mischief

Ghost, goblins and ghouls will all be howling this year for Ohio University School of Music’s Hallowpalooza IV at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium.

The fourth Halloween-inspired concert features performances from the Ohio University Symphony Orchestra, African ensemble, percussion ensemble and many others.

Unlike most orchestral performances, which mainly focus on classical music, Hallowpalooza is a conglomerate of different genres of music, meshing the classics with modern favorites.

"It’s kind of a pop culture concert so a lot of the stuff will be light hearted; show tunes, music from movie soundtracks, as well as some non-traditional music," explained Steven Huang, director of orchestras. "All of the music is done in sort of the Halloween spirit, so there will be gags and spooky music and special effects."

Audiences can expect to hear music from the film, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," selections from the 1971 film "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and the last movement of Ottorino Respighi’s "Pines of Rome."

Another unique feature of the performance is that it specifically reaches out to local children. Each year, the Athens Community Music School (housed in the School of Music) helps to offset the transportation costs so that elementary students can attend a special show presented just for them at 10 a.m.

"I think that this is one of the best ways for us to connect with something the children really understand and see how music can allow us to be more creative and how the arts can be a gateway to everyday life," enthused Huang.

There are at least 1,300 students confirmed for the performance from all over southeast Ohio.

"It won’t just be fun for the kids, but it also makes them think about the arts, music…everything," he said.

The ensembles and orchestra have been practicing their pieces since the beginning of fall quarter. However, they entire production only comes together for one quick, and, according to Huang, "hopefully not too disorganized" dress rehearsal the night before the performance.

The performance lasts one hour, with no intermissions. Tickets are $5. Students with a valid OHIO ID and children 12 and under receive free admission. Proceeds from the concert benefit student scholarships.

Octubafest

If you can’t wait until Hallowpalooza for your fill of spooky tunes, the School of Music is also presenting Octubafest Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. at the School of Music’s Recital Hall.

The performance includes the Ohio University Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble and Trombone Ensemble directed by Jason Smith and Chris Haye with a special performance from Todd Fallis of Utah State University on bass trombone.

Octubafest showcases the unique sound of the brass instruments while surprising the audience how diverse and distinct the rarely celebrated instruments sound.